Today at the Big Android BBQ we announced that we have teamed up with General Assembly (GA), a global education institution transforming thinkers into creators, to create a new Android Development Immersive training course. This 12-week, full-time course will be offered beginning in January 2016 at GA’s New York campus, and in February at GA’s San Francisco campus and will roll out to additional campuses over the course of the next year. It is the first in-person training program of its kind that Google Developers has designed and built.

The Google Developer Relations team teamed up with General Assembly to ensure the Android Development Immersive bootcamp provides developers with access to the best instructors and latest and greatest hands-on material to create successful app experiences and businesses. To effectively reach over a billion of Android users globally, it's important for developers to build high-quality apps that are beautifully designed, performant, and delightful to use.

“We are constantly looking at the economy and job market for what skills are most in-demand. Demand for developers who can address this market and build new applications is tremendous,” said Jake Schwartz, co-founder and CEO, General Assembly. “Developing this course in partnership with Google Developers allows us to provide students with the most relevant skills, ensuring a reliable pipeline of talented developers ready to meet the urgent demand of companies in the Android ecosystem, a key component of GA's education-to-employment model."

Registration in the Android Development Immersive includes access to GA’s career preparation services and support, also known as Outcomes, includes assistance in creating portfolio-ready projects, access to career development workshops, networking events, and coaching and support in the job search process. Through in-person hiring events, mock interviews & GA’s online job search platform, graduates connect with GA’s hiring partners, which consists of close to 2,000 employers globally.

One of these employers is Vice Media. "I'm really excited to see the candidates coming out of the GA Android course. The fact that they're working with both Google and potential employers to shape the curriculum around real-world problems will make a huge difference. Textbook learning is one thing, but classroom learning with practitioners is a level we have all been waiting for. In fact, Vice Media is going to be hiring an apprentice right out of this course," said Ben Jackson, Director of Mobile Apps for Vice Media.